Love Built to Last

by Lisa Ricard Claro

  His eyes, those amazing Kinkaid peepers of dark denim-blue, dropped to her mouth. When he met her gaze again mischief played at the corners of his lips and Rebecca’s cheeks heated under his perusal. Sean must have seen her blush, because his eyes crinkled at the corners and his expression slid into one of unabashed amusement.

  “Be right back,” he said, still grinning as he headed out into the wet mess.

  Okay, score one for Kinkaid.

  Rebecca cursed herself for falling into Sean’s sexy little trap. The man was incorrigible. Gorgeous, but incorrigible.

  She thought back to the first time she met Sean, at last year’s Fourth of July picnic in the park when her mother, Sada, and his mother, Edie, had combined their matchmaking skills for the purpose of bringing Caleb and Maddie together. Her first impression of Sean was that he was too good looking to be real, and she began an outrageous exchange that set the tone for their relationship—a casual friendship anchored in extreme flirting and wild sexual innuendo with not one teeny bit of action to back it up.

  Rebecca snapped her seatbelt and adjusted it for comfort. Sean had gotten the best of her with that look and he knew it, the bastard. She settled back into the seat.

  Next point goes to me.

  “Damn, it’s freezing out.” Sean slid back into the truck and set Rebecca’s purse and laptop between them. His soaked hair dripped water into his eyes, and he pushed his hand through it, slicking it back and sending a shower of raindrops across his broad shoulders. “How about this freak storm? I’ll pay better attention to the weather report from now on, I guess, but who worries about freezing rain or sleet in November?”

  “You look smokin’ hot to me.” Rebecca delivered the comment in her sexiest voice, dropped her gaze below his belt line, held it there for a few beats, and then roamed her eyes back to his with deliberate scrutiny. She congratulated herself for his momentary speechlessness and maintained the steamy look until her humor got the better of her and she laughed, back to her snarky self. “What’d you do with the M&Ms, hot stuff? Melt them?”

  He squeezed his eyes shut, said, “Damn it,” and opened the door.

  Rebecca’s laughter followed him back out into the storm. He returned a few moments later and handed over the bag of candy along with her keys. “Open that thing up. I’m starving. What kind are they?”

  “Peanut butter.”

  “My favorite.”

  “Mine too.” She tore open the bag and tilted it toward him. After a quiet moment she asked, “Is it weird for you? Seeing Maddie with Cal, I mean, since she was married to your brother.”

  Sean eased the truck onto the road and finished his mouthful of M&Ms before answering her question. When he spoke, he delivered his words with quiet deliberation. “I guess it was hard at first, because I never knew Maddie when she didn’t belong to Jack. I remember the day he called me from college his freshman year to tell me he was in love. I laughed my ass off, told him she was just the first of many to come.” Sean kept his eyes on the changing conditions of the road, but smiled. “I was wrong. Jack loved Maddie from the minute he saw her, and she was over the moon for him, too. After Jack died, Maddie—” Sean sighed, shook his head. “The light went out of her. And then Cal and TJ came into her life and it’s like she’s started breathing again. How can I be anything but happy about that? Besides—” He shot her a quick glance. “—if Cal and Maddie are to be believed, Jack is the one who got them together.”

  “Do you believe it? That Jack, you know, did some matchmaking from the Great Beyond?”

  “I think Caleb and Maddie believe it.”

  “That’s noncommittal.”

  “It’s all I’ve got.”

  “Maddie said Jack used to communicate with her all the time through the stuff on his desk. Do you ever feel like he talks to you?”

  “I wish. I’d be lying if I said I never talk to him, and there are sometimes it seems like he’s, I don’t know, I’ll say nudging me, for lack of a better term. I’ve never felt it like Maddie, but yes, there are times I feel like he’s hanging around, knocking me upside the head when I need it.” He shrugged. “Wishful thinking.”

  “Maybe not. I like to think the people we love stay with us.”

  “I hope that’s true.”

  “Hey, where’s your girlfriend tonight? What’s her name?” Rebecca asked.

  “Brandi?”

  “No, the other one.”

  “Give me a clue.”

  “I’m talking about the one with the gigantic boobs. The chick you brought with you to the picnic last Fourth of July.”

  “Ah, Cynthia.” His sigh embodied appreciation.

  “Cynthia. That’s right. All boobs, no personality. What was she, like a 42 DD on a size two body? No way those puppies are real, you know.”

  “So.”

  Rebecca laughed. “I bet if I look up the word ‘shallow’ in the dictionary your picture will be next to it.”

  “I’m a boob man. So sue me.”

  “Well, then, I’m forever safe from your wolfish ways. When God passed out boobs I was a block away standing in line for a double helping of Freaking Awesome.”

  “He gave you a quadruple helping of Freaking Awesome, but we both know I can’t personally vouch for your boobs. I’m willing to rectify that anytime.”

  “Trust me. Not worth your notice.”

  Sean flipped the directional and slowed for his turn off the rural highway, stopping for the red light. He remained silent and Rebecca gave herself a point in their silly verbal game, knowing she had congratulated herself too soon when he turned his full attention to her and said, “I’ll always take quality over quantity, and you know what they say—more than a mouthful’s a waste.”

  Rebecca blinked her eyes, speechless.

  “Point goes to me.” He licked the tip of his index finger and check-marked the air.

  Rebecca’s lips curved in a grudging a smile. “Okay, yeah, you got that one.”

  “Thank you. Anything else I should know?”

  “Well, if this is true confessions time, I’ll admit that half the time I don’t wear any undies. It’s more comfortable to go fully commando.” He regarded her through narrow eyes and she knew that he knew she was game-playing. But some little part of him, she bet, wouldn’t be one hundred percent sure and he’d have to take the bait. Wait for it, she thought. Any minute now. She studied the landscape of naked trees shivering in the icy wind beyond the passenger window and bit her lip to hold back the smile of impending victory.

  “So, uh,” he began.

  And here it comes.

  “Are you saying you’re completely naked under your clothes right now?”

  Rebecca burst out laughing and copied Sean’s gesture of check-marking the air. “We’re all naked under our clothes, Sean.”

  “You know what I mean.”

  “I do. And you’ll never know, but I bet you’ll wonder.”

  “That is so not fair.” He laughed, the sound rich and warm in the interior of the truck. The light turned green and he pulled through the intersection with care. The defroster blew full blast to keep the windshield clear of ice.

  “It’s after eight,” Rebecca said. “You might have made the party on time if you hadn’t stopped for me. Thanks for not leaving me stranded.”

  “Nasty night to be stuck out in the middle of nowhere.”

  Rebecca regarded him and considered. “Did you know it was me when you stopped?”

  “I recognized you after I got out of the truck.”

  “But not before. You were being a good Samaritan.”

  “Like I said, rotten night, middle of nowhere. When I came around the bend, I only saw a woman being pounded by the weather, alone by the side of the road. If it was my mom or sister out there, I’d want somebody to stop and help. I like to think somebody would.” He shrugged his broad shoulders. “It just happened to be me this time around.”

  “What if I had a partner in crime built like Mike Tys
on who coshed you over the head, and we left your body in the woods and stole your truck?”

  “Have you been watching crime show marathons with Brenna and Maddie again?” Sean asked.

  “Look, stuff like that happens in real life, too.” Rebecca glanced out the passenger window and tamped down the memory that oozed into her brain, unbidden. She swallowed hard and cleared her throat before looking back at Sean. “You know it’s true. You’re a lawyer, for Pete’s sake. You must hear all kinds of crazy stuff.”

  “I do, but not that kind of crazy. Anyway, I’d rather take the…what is it, maybe a one in a million shot?…that the person I stop to help is out to do me harm. If I don’t stop to help, the chances are one hundred percent that I’ll feel terrible about it.”

  Rebecca gave him a light punch on the shoulder. “You’re a softy. Nothing but a big ol’ teddy bear underneath all that Hot Sexy. Who knew?”

  “Don’t tell anybody, you’ll ruin my practice. No one wants a lawyer with a conscience.”

  “Damn it. There’s Cal’s truck. We missed surprising them,” Rebecca said when they pulled into the Kinkaids’ driveway.

  Sean eyed the landscape for an out-of-the way place to settle his truck and pulled around other parked vehicles, choosing a spot in the icy grass while Rebecca took in the house and yard with admiration. Sean’s mother, Edie, had decorated for Christmas the day after Halloween, and the Kinkaid home, with red-bowed wreaths of evergreen adorning every window and garland looping the rails of the wraparound porch, glowed now from within and without with enough lights to power a small city. Primrose and pansies, and other winter-strong flowers Rebecca couldn’t name, overflowed from large urns and planters on the porch and nestled in the garden areas amid the evergreen shrubs. Rebecca wondered if the flowers would survive the freezing rain. She supposed they would, or Edie wouldn’t have put them in harm’s way.

  “Maddie told me that the first time she saw your parents’ house Jack joked that it was the inspiration for one of Thomas Kinkade’s paintings.”

  Sean turned off the engine. “We’ve no relation to the artist. The last names aren’t even spelled the same. That fib was one of Jack’s favorite things to tell people when he was a kid.”

  “That’s because it looks like it could be true.”

  “I guess. Hey, I’ve got an umbrella in here somewhere. You want me to find it?”

  “Nah. At this point, the rain and sleet can’t do more damage than they’ve already done.”

  His eyes moved upward to what Rebecca supposed looked like a dripping beehive on top of her head. She opened her mouth to snap a smart-ass comment with regard to her Marge Simpson look, but caught her breath when Sean looped one of her escaped curls around his finger and gave the spiral a gentle tug. His eyes narrowed and he tilted his head as if her naturally curly hair was the most fascinating thing in the world. And then he looked beyond her through the window and set her curl free.

  “You boyfriend’s name is Tate, right?”

  “Nate.”

  “That’s right. Nate.” Sean opened his door and offered a genial wave to the man glowering on the porch. “Hey, Tate. How ya doin’?”

  Rebecca rolled her eyes and opened the door.

  “Why didn’t you answer your cell phone? I’ve been going crazy here!” Nate hollered from the covered porch.

  The precipitation stopped him short of coming down the stairs.

  “Flat tire and no cell service, but I’m fine. Sean rescued me from the side of the road.”

  “A call would’ve been nice, Rebecca.”

  “I just told you, no cell service.”

  Mollified for the moment, Nate stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans and waited.

  Sean stared at Nate for a beat and then his eyes cut to Rebecca. “Leave your stuff. We’ll get it later after the weather eases up. C’mon, let’s make a run for it. Your man is desperate for a kiss and to cop a feel.” His smile shot through her like a lightning bolt.

  Oops. Wrong man. She looked away from the mischievous Sean and blinked through the blurry windshield at Nate.

  “Ready?” Sean said.

  You have no idea.

  She gave herself a mental head slap and grabbed her purse. “Yep. Let’s go for it.”

  They hopped from the truck, slammed the doors, and jogged across the yard, laughing as the run for warmth turned into a slippery race. Due to the angle of the truck, Rebecca had the advantage. She ran up the porch stairs and out of the storm several steps ahead of Sean. Nate caught her in his arms and she laughed up at him, wiping the water from her face and pushing away loose strands of hair with her hands.

  Sean loped up the stairs, nodded to Nate, and disappeared inside the house.

  “I was worried about you,” Nate said.

  “I appreciate your concern, and I’m sorry I worried you, but you know cell service is spotty on these mountain roads. I’m just lucky Sean showed up.”

  “I’m sure you had service at some point between here and there.” He scowled. “I feel like an afterthought.”

  “I’m sorry. I don’t mean for it be like that.”

  “It’s not just that. I know your work is important, but you let it take precedence over everything else in your life.”

  Rebecca frowned, tired of revisiting this conversation. “When we started dating, I told you my main focus is the family business. Ever since Dad’s heart attack, Caleb and I have had to step up to keep things on track, and because Cal is running his own business, too, I’ve taken on most of the responsibility. If you remember, Nate, I warned you I’m not in a good place for a serious relationship. You said you were okay with that.”

  Nate dropped his arms and stepped back. His expression bordered on a pout and Rebecca doused a blast of annoyance. She had been honest with him from the start. What else could she do?

  “Let’s not talk about this now, okay? I’m soaked, freezing, and turning blue out here. C’mon. Let’s go have a good time. We can talk all this out later.”

  “Fine.”

  Rebecca reached for his hand but he pulled away, and she resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Instead, she plastered on a bolstering smile and opened the door. She walked into the foyer of the Kinkaid home, greeted by the delicious scents of baked goods and roasted meats comingling with pine and bayberry. The formal living room to the right boasted a stone fireplace that swallowed the better part of one wall and glowed with crackling logs. Candles flickered on the mantle. A Christmas tree stood in the corner, themed with angels and elves, and miles of curling red and silver ribbons.

  Sean’s mother, Edie, met her at the door with a warm embrace. “Welcome!” Edie took Rebecca by the shoulders and delivered both a broad smile and a critical once over. “Bless your heart, sweetie, Sean wasn’t kidding. You’re soaked. I’d give you a big smooch hello, but I don’t see a dry spot anywhere. And you’re shivering. Well, c’mon now, let me have that wet coat. Brenna!” She called to her daughter, “Take this sweet thing upstairs and find her some dry clothes. And stand her up in a hot shower so she can warm up.”

  “I really don’t need—”

  “Of course you do, honey. You’ll agree with me the second you take a look in the mirror. Trust me.” Edie winked and patted Rebecca’s shoulder. “Brenna!”

  “Here, right here.” The always gorgeous Brenna Kinkaid, her sleek hair as black as Sean’s and eyes the same shade of blue, hurried from the kitchen and down the hall, her enviable curves on display in a red cashmere sweater and snug jeans. She smiled a greeting at Rebecca and held out a steaming mug. “Mulled wine, my own recipe.”

  “Thanks.” Rebecca curled her icy fingers around the warm mug and sniffed the contents. “This smells like heaven.”

  “Tastes like it, too, if I do say so myself. It’s similar to the holiday cider I brew for the L&G,” Brenna said, referring to the coffee bar she owned and operated in town, the Lump & Grind. “But this recipe for home packs a punch, so watch out.”


  Rebecca sipped, let the mulled spices tingle her tongue, and then took a good swig to revel in the hot brew sliding down her throat to warm her. “Is there whiskey in here along with the wine?”

  Brenna smiled. “I told you it packs a punch. C’mon upstairs. Let’s get you dried off and warmed up. Mama’s right. A hot shower will fix you right up.”

  “Where is everybody?”

  “The ladies are in the kitchen, and the men have gravitated downstairs to Daddy’s man cave. Except your grandfather. He’s in the kitchen eating cookies, getting buzzed on mulled wine, and flirting with me like the construction jock he used to be. I wish I knew him when he was forty years younger,” Brenna said. “C’mon. I’ll find you a change of clothes and then you can hunt down your brother and sister-in-law to-be.”

  Rebecca took a second to pull off her wet boots and socks, which she left on the mat by the door next to Sean’s soaked shoes. She hoisted her purse over her shoulder, took a couple big swigs of her mulled wine, and followed Brenna up the stairs in her bare feet, enjoying the relaxing and warming effects of the beverage. They met Sean on the second floor landing. His wet hair gleamed like black ice, and he’d traded his dripping business attire for jeans and a ragged NYU sweatshirt.

  Sean winked at Rebecca and his lips curved in a slow smile. “Call me if you need any help.”

  “You’re a moron,” Brenna said, but Sean just laughed and proceeded down the stairs. “My brother is an idiot,” she said to Rebecca, but the words came through an indulgent smile and her words carried no bite.

  “A charming idiot.” Rebecca hoped her tone sounded as light as she intended.

  “Yeah, but don’t tell him I said that.” Brenna led Rebecca to the left and flipped on the bathroom light. “Towels are in this closet. Soap, shampoo, conditioner—all that stuff—is in the shower. Feel free to use it. I can see by your face that you feel uncomfortable using the shower, but you shouldn’t. It’ll warm you up. Besides—” She patted Rebecca’s hair. “—you’re going to want to do so something with that mess.”

  Rebecca glanced around Brenna to see herself in the mirror. Her eyes widened and she emitted a horrified squeak. It was worse than she thought. Her hair had gone from beehive to rat’s nest, and the mascara she applied earlier had laid skid marks from cheeks to chin. Dear god. She looked like an eighties punk rocker gone wrong—or horribly right, depending on one’s perspective. Either way, she needed serious fixing.